Beyond Treatment: Impact of Multimodal Prehabilitation on Colorectal Cancer Patients

Colorectal cancer surgery is a complex and invasive procedure associated with significant post-operative morbidity and mortality. In recent years, prehabilitation has emerged as a promising strategy to improve post-operative outcomes in patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery. Prehabilitation, a multidisciplinary approach that combines physical exercise, nutritional counselling, and psychological support, aims to optimise patients' physical and mental condition before surgery. This prospective study analysed data from 134 patients who underwent colorectal cancer surgery, comparing outcomes between patients who received prehabilitation (n = 73) and those who did not (n = 61). Primary outcomes included post-operative complications, hospital stay, 6-minute walk test scores, anastomotic leak rates, and readmission rates. The results demonstrated significant benefits of prehabilitation in reducing post-operative complications (21.91% vs. 54.09%, p < 0.001), shortening hospital stays (7.49 days vs. 9.54 days, p = 0.0001), and improving 6-minute walk test scores (pre-operative / postoperative: 580.82 m / 492.73 m vs. 516.06 m / 289.34 m, p = 0.00001 ). Anastomotic leak rates and readmission rates were also lower in the prehabilitation group. In conclusion, this study provides evidence supporting the role of prehabilitation in improving outcomes in patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery. Prehabilitation reduces post-operative complications, shortens hospital stays, and improves physical function. These findings are consistent with existing literature and highlight the importance of incorporating prehabilitation into standard care for patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery.